The Republic of Ireland currently faces economic and social challenges that necessitate major reform of services and public institutions. Cost-effective solutions and evidence-based social policy are at a premium as health and education budgets are reconfigured. Civil society organisations are grappling with reduced government funding and a challenging private fundraising environment.

Since the late 1980s, Atlantic, in collaboration with government, civil society and other partners, has worked to improve higher education; fund research to create new knowledge; strengthen the voluntary sector; enrich the lives of older people; improve services and public policy for children and young people; improve palliative care; and promote and protect human rights.

Currently, Atlantic and our grantees are working to improve services, security and opportunities for people across the life course, particularly the youngest and oldest, so that the most vulnerable can access the best education and health care. We are also supporting a robust civil society to address institutional and legal barriers that perpetuate social inequity.

Our Focus As We Conclude Our Grantmaking

We are focused on supporting grantees to secure “age friendly” policies and standards, and to improve the care and well-being of people with dementia. We encourage a view of all older people as assets. We also continue to support older people’s organisations, especially where their efforts combine for the benefit of older people in their communities and nationally. Learn More >

To ensure that children and young people have good life outcomes, we support grantees that are transforming services for children and young people by providing and promoting prevention and early intervention programmes. Learn More >

So that the vulnerable in society are increasingly able to access and enjoy their rights, we will continue to focus on developing sustainable organisations with the capacity to protect and promote human rights after we end our grantmaking. This includes improving access to justice and services for migrants through legislative and policy reform and supporting the transformation of supports and services for people with disabilities. Learn More >

We also work to strengthen philanthropy and disseminate our learnings to help develop the field.